Funding opportunities

The range of research activities at Nazarbayev University is broad and deep. NU scholars conduct research in almost every field, and seek to expand human knowledge through analysis, innovation, and insight. Research is supported by internal and external research funds each year, and it is carried out in the departments of the Schools and National Laboratory Astana.

In this section, we share information on the funding schemes available for NU researchers. Please visit our latest Research Newsletter issue to view a selection of current funding opportunities. Please also see below a list of research funding bodies.

Nazarbayev University grants:

1. Faculty-development competitive research grants program

The Faculty-development competitive research grants program or Faculty grants program (FDCRGP) addresses basic and applied research and is available to all faculty members and NU researchers (NU undergraduate, graduate students and/or Postdocs may be involved) to support the advancement of knowledge in all areas of research. The program was initiated in 2017 and is one of the funding instruments of Nazarbayev University (NU) to advance its research excellence.

The FDCRGP program supports any basic and applied research at Nazarbayev University that is of significant intellectual merit and societal outcomes for Kazakhstani society. The call is not focused on specific research fields and seeks to support NU faculty members in their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers.

2. Collaborative Research Program

The Collaborative Research Program (CRP) aims to support the development of new interdisciplinary research collaborations between academic researchers from different disciplines. Funding opportunity is available to all faculty members at and above the rank of Assistant Professor to support the advancement of knowledge in all areas of research, as well as to develop collaborations between Nazarbayev University (NU) and Kazakhstani Universities. Collaboration is a vital part of the call, which will be expected to deliver high quality research programs.

The CRP program supports building of sustainable partnerships and collaborations in emerging and established areas of excellence, which is a strategic priority of the University and would have significant impact to intellectual merit and societal outcomes for Kazakhstani society. The call is not focused on specific research fields and seeks to support NU faculty members in their research, to encourage their teaching and research careers, and to build collaborations with Kazakhstani scientific community. An additional, goal is to promote new collaborations that build on different scientific and scholarly backgrounds to facilitate breakthroughs in solving research questions in a collaborative manner, and which will develop new research, which is competitive for extramural support. Partnership is a vital part of the CRP.

3. International Interdisciplinary Research Program

Nazarbayev University seeks to facilitate the development of new research initiatives that cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries. One effective way of doing this is through the creation of a new interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary International Interdisciplinary Research Program (hereinafter – IIRP). IIRP is aimed at raising the level and quality of research and at improving its international competitiveness, visibility, and esteem.

IIRP – is a multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary unit, which is organized primarily to conduct research, but may also be actively involved in undergraduate and/or graduate education, community outreach, industrial innovation or clinical services. In addition, such IIRP groups will operate according to stringent international standards, with a focus on international research excellence.

This program is designed to strengthen the international competitiveness of research at NU and to increase its visibility and appreciation. Research that will take place in the IIRP should be carried out at the highest strategic level in areas and directions that may be announced in the call. In addition, the program aims at developing creative and productive research and training environments that generate excellence and contribute to the overall progress of research and society.

Kazakhstan Government grants:

EU Horizon 2020 grants:

The European Commission invests almost €16 billion in research and innovation in 2016-2017 under Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation funding scheme, following a new work programme for 2016-2017 adopted on 13 October 2015. For more information, please see the documents below:

Grant Search Engines

Below is the list of funding opportunity databases:

  1. GrantForward
  2. Grants.gov
  3. GrantWatch
  4. Candid
  5. Tips when searching for grants

Grants for Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines:

Grants for STEM disciplines: